A bill to protect the confidentiality of Shippers' Export Declarations, and to standardize export data submission and disclosure requirements.
Public Law 96-275 · H.R. 6842 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jun 17, 1980 · Foreign Trade and International Finance
Sponsor: Rep. Robert Garcia (D-NY-21)
Cosponsors (32): Rep. James Courter, Rep. Paul Findley,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Exempts Shippers' Export Declarations from public disclosure unless the Secretary of Commerce determines that such exemption would be contrary to the national interest.
Requires the person in command of a ship bound for a foreign port to attach bills of lading or equivalent documents to the manifest of the ship's cargo which is required to be submitted to the appropriate United States Customs Service officer to obtain clearance for the ship. Specifies the information to be included on such manifest or attached documents and the elements of such information which shall be available for public disclosure. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to establish procedures to provide access to the information which may be disclosed and protection for the information not available for disclosure.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · referred to- Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred to, reported by
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Jun 17, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-275.
- Jun 12, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jun 11, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- May 13, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- May 12, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- May 8, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Mar 18, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.